V8_DatZun Posted September 20, 2008 Share Posted September 20, 2008 Im new to welding and just attempted a few test welds. For some reason I cannot get my settings correct. I get alot of little splatter welds, and can not get a good bead started. I know practice makes perfect, but a few hints never hurt eiter any help you guys can provide is appreciated! Here are a few pics when I welded in my patch to the transmission tunnel shifter hole. Its strong, but as you can see alot of splatter. The welder is a clarke hot shot mig, no shielding gas but flux wire .035". http://us.share.geocities.com/turb022/Picture003.jpg http://us.share.geocities.com/turb022/Picture005.jpg http://us.share.geocities.com/turb022/Picture007.jpg http://us.share.geocities.com/turb022/Picture008.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280Zone Posted September 20, 2008 Share Posted September 20, 2008 The GeoCities web site you were trying to view has temporarily exceeded its data transfer limit. Please try again later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8_DatZun Posted September 20, 2008 Author Share Posted September 20, 2008 ahhh guess ill have to maybe put them on myspace... lmao thats the only other place i have web hosting...is photobucket free? EDIT here are the pics sorry about that... again any help appreciated. http://a910.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/106/l_1c046025c457538a8b9821a3d3d2a2e5.jpg http://a964.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/93/l_a605e422f9afd0a82cef9146a1ebbaab.jpg http://a955.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/128/l_90cc6e9de3910de93b2c2dbc114d8e72.jpg http://a309.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/75/l_e9fe6d7525f4489252cef9a191c94f84.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WizardBlack Posted September 20, 2008 Share Posted September 20, 2008 I'm no pro by any means (basically self taught) but it looks like you need a LOT more penetration. Likewise, turn your feed speed up. Not familiar with your welder model. How many amps and volts? It looks like you are sitting on a spot to build heat up but you're just adding material on top of the "weld". Get the amps turned up to quickly liquify your work metal and then turn your feed speed up (afterwards, if needed) to keep up with the hotter weld process. Also, get your torch right down on it and "zig-zag" back and forth across the seam repeatedly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yo2001 Posted September 20, 2008 Share Posted September 20, 2008 Don't be scare to get the mig gun (assume) closer to your work. I would turn the welder up as well. The bead should penetrate the metal and not sit on the top of the work Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8_DatZun Posted September 20, 2008 Author Share Posted September 20, 2008 If I turn it up it burns a hole in the material. Maybe I just need to move faster. I've never welded before. I know its going to take a little while to get use to, and maybe that IS my problem im just not going fast enough and the welder isnt turned up high enough. Thanks for the replies any other info would be appreciated. Thanks for the tips wizardblack I'll try that in a few minutes. Also do i need to grind down what i have and try to reweld to ensure it holds? or try tapping it with a hammer to ensure it holds? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CerebralSponge Posted September 20, 2008 Share Posted September 20, 2008 I am also by no means qualified to teach anybody but I was recently in this boat so I thought I'd throw in my 2 cents. First of all, flux core will always give you spatter. I always heard about how great gas was, and then I got it. And let me tell you, it's that great. When you start your weld, build up a liquid bead before you move on, otherwise unless you have enough heat, you will get a lot of little weld spots such as what you have. This is where I assume I'm right but somebody please correct me if I'm wrong. I think getting a lot of little contact points like that means you have too much wire comming out with not enough power. So when the wire hits the metal, it makes a small weld, then jumps to another spot and makes another weld. Which means you aren't getting good penetration. Hope that helps and hope I didn't give any false advice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8_DatZun Posted September 20, 2008 Author Share Posted September 20, 2008 That sounds like my problem right there.... The wire does often touch the metal before melting, and I dont let a pool build up first. I will try that hopefully that is my problem. Are there any places where you can rent the cylinder and when you need a refill exchange it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
280Zone Posted September 20, 2008 Share Posted September 20, 2008 am also probably not qualified to help. But your welds look similar to what mine first did. I thought I wasn't moving enough wire so I kept turning up the speed. Since I had no clue what I was doing I tried slowing down the wire speed and things worked much better. I also agree that teh flux wire gives you some splatter but it is tolaerable once you get the right speed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8_DatZun Posted September 20, 2008 Author Share Posted September 20, 2008 Thanks guys. I cant really get a good bead going where i already have the little splatter, BUT I tried a few welds across my patch just to see and it worked ALOT better. I turned the heat up 2 notches (may be a little too hot) and turned the speed up JUST a little, then moved the gun faster across the metal and it did GREAT i actually got a few nice looking beads (I also learned how to patch a dime sized hole where it burnt through lmao) but i think I've got the idea now. Thanks for the help! ill post pics of the beads i ran across the patch tomorrow. Hybridz helps again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffer949 Posted September 20, 2008 Share Posted September 20, 2008 Does your welder have just a high/low for the power and then a dial for the feed? thats what mine has and i run into the problem on welding sheet metal. Low is almost to cold but high is so hot that it burns right through. I would try two things. 1. Make sure you dont have a fan blowing on you or your weld. I was doing this when i first started and had no clue that it was basicaly blowing the flux core gas away and it was being unprotected and was splattering like crazy. 2. Slow down and make sure your getting a pool of metal and then pull that pool along if your trying to carry a bead. I would also maybe trying to just stich weld it in place. I would grind that down if your going to try to reweld it. Your going to at least have to wire wheel it to get all the flux off. I find that using little circles works well with the flux core welders. While the zig/zag works well with a true MIG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WizardBlack Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 If you burn through, you may have the settings right, but you just need to move faster. MIG is a bit tough in that you can't really "tune" the welder to run any speed you want with a particular piece of metal. Try those higher settings on some scrap metal that's a tad thicker. Not super thick, but a tad thicker. The easiest method of hand movement is constant circles. Keep drawing a circle the size of a pencil eraser head as you move along the seam. Get your hands both on the welder and get your face right up on it (not above it) so you can see what you are doing well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8_DatZun Posted September 21, 2008 Author Share Posted September 21, 2008 yeah wizardblack that was another problem.. I wasnt close enough to see exactly what was going on, and also once i started doing small circles with it the weld started looking alot nicer. With the tips you guys have gave me hopefully the welds can being easier to do with more quality... also it seems to help to have a bright light shining on what im working on inside the dim car. I can see what im doing with the weld alot better. Thanks again you guys. Oh yeah jeffer949 it has 4 settings. and i had no wind at all on me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffer949 Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 If you got a generic helmet from lowes or something that isnt adjustable. It more than likely came with a 10 rated lens. In my opinion i changed out my 10 for a 9 or 8 IIRC and it made a huge difference in my welding. Being able to see what your doing made a huge difference in my welding. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
V8_DatZun Posted September 21, 2008 Author Share Posted September 21, 2008 I have a solar powered auto darkening helmet.. cant remember the name brand, BUT it has a knob on the side numbered 10-7 i believe... could this be the lens darkness adjustment or do you have to buy different lens? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffer949 Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 Yes that is what its for. Try taking a scrap piece of steel and start putting down a one handed bead. doesnt have to be pretty. With the other hand start tunning down the nob to the 7 it should lighten up and allow you to see more. You want to be protected as much as possible but you still need to see what your doing. Once i changed the lenses on my helmet it allowed me to actually see what the moltent metal was doing and i practiced pulling the pool of metal along my welds went to about the capacity of my crappy 150 buck welder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WizardBlack Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 Typical adjustable masks have a range from 7~11 or so. The higher the number the darker it is. I wouldn't go below 9 unless it's hard to see. The most common setting other than that is sensitivity and/or response and they're usually not numbered; just high to low. If you get into very much welding, consider an autodarkening helmet. It makes a huge difference on being able to place your torch correctly before you start welding, etc. You can easily work with the mask down; I do it all the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Evan Purple240zt Posted September 21, 2008 Share Posted September 21, 2008 Keep your surfaces clean! Make sure there is nothing to contaminate the weld on the front or backside. I have burned through paint before but the welds go on much easier with prepped metal. Don't be afraid to use heat. Error on the hot side if you have to choose, and adjust your wire feed and the speed at which you move accordingly. I agree with the helmet, make it so you can actually see the weld. That makes every difference in the world. Wire wheel the weld when your done and it will look much better too. Evan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nismo280zEd Posted September 22, 2008 Share Posted September 22, 2008 Keep your surfaces clean! Make sure there is nothing to contaminate the weld on the front or backside. I have burned through paint before but the welds go on much easier with prepped metal. Don't be afraid to use heat. Error on the hot side if you have to choose, and adjust your wire feed and the speed at which you move accordingly. I agree with the helmet, make it so you can actually see the weld. That makes every difference in the world. Wire wheel the weld when your done and it will look much better too. Evan Looks like dirty metal to me aswell and turn up the heat a bit. or slow down the wire. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AK-Z Posted September 23, 2008 Share Posted September 23, 2008 How thick is that piece you're welding? If its anything over 16 gauge, I say to spot weld it. About 4 to hold it in place, then another set in between those, then again untill you get to about an inch between each welds, then spot weld next to a cold weld, overlaping just slightly, then go to the next cold weld and repeat until it looks like one bead. The point in doing this, is to distribute heat evenly and to weld as "cold" as possible so you don't have too much heat in one area, cause thermal expansion (heat budge/ warpage). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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